As summer temperatures begin in earnest, the intrepid second session students have arrived and are getting set to head out into the field. After meeting at Seatac airport, we spent our first few days getting to know each other and our surroundings.

Who are all these people?Â The first meeting at Greenlake Park.

Making sure we have the proper gear for our pending adventures.

We took a walk to Diablo Dam,

Hydropower (and wind!) at the Diablo dam

drew up a community agreement,

Finding our future routes on the map

practiced storytelling with digital media (here’s an early attempt at audio recording)Â learned about native plants, studied the carbon cycle and greenhouse gases and have managed to squeeze a few games in between.

Two ‘experts’ on global warming give the students a pop quiz.

Simulating the carbon cycle with water balloons.

Mike Brondi from the National Park Service talks about photosynthesis

Now itâ€™s off to Baker Lake where we will be based for the next few days as we hike up Sauk Mountain, check out Mount Baker and the Easton Glacier from the Railroad Grade trail and explore the wetlands of the upper Baker River!